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Put Fat to Good Use

Don't fear fat! Learn how you can get a better butt, smooth out cellulite and amp up your breasts

NewBeauty
Editors

January 28, 2014

If you choose to go the surgical route to get rid of stubborn fatty areas, you and your plastic surgeon may choose to make use of the removed fat. Rather than just tossing it, you can use it to improve your body.

It may seem strange to add fat to your body but in the case of volume loss or contour irregularities some doctors feel fat is the best way to correct the problem. “It sounds counterintuitive that fat can make the body look better but in many cases, adding fat to depressed areas can give smoother-looking skin,” says Orlando, FL, plastic surgeon Armando Soto, MD. “Fat transfer is a good way to add volume—it works well and is permanent. But how the fat is treated (low pressure removal is best) determines how it will survive,” says Beverly Hills, CA, plastic surgeon Randall Haworth, MD.

Amp Up Your BreastsIf you only want to go up about one cup size or so and prefer not to have implants, fat grafting (which is a lengthy procedure) is the next best thing since it gives just a little boost in size. Opposed to implants, fat is a natural filler and there’s minimal scarring as opposed to larger scars left behind from implants. Another reason why some patients choose fat over implants is that, “the tissue is your own and does not need periodic replacement like implants do,” says Dr. Saltz.

Shape a Better ButtSilicone butt implants were once the only way to get a bigger, better butt. But ever since fat burst onto the scene, many plastic surgeons have opted for the natural filler over implants to give lift and shape to the buttocks. “If you want a more shapely backside and you have enough fat to harvest and place in the butt, this is one procedure that can produce superdramatic results,” says Dr. Soto. Just how fat improves the quality of facial skin, it’s thought to do the same for the skin on the body, which most plastic surgeons attribute to the stem cell factor (fat is a good source for skin-perfecting stem cells).

Fill Out Cellulite DimplesAdding fat to cellulite-burdened areas is, according to some doctors, a great way to get rid of it. Cellulite forms due to bulging fat pads that press against connective tissue. “Adding fat to the depressed areas gives smoother-looking skin,” says Dr. Soto. Anti-cellulite treatments may firm and smooth, but there’s something to be said about adding volume. Some experts feel that in order to get the best results, attachments under the skin—that cause cellulite—need to be surgically cut and released.